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Ama 9, w29. l y A VmERFELDER" www@ STOCKING CYLQCK LAGE FORMING MACHINE Filed may 1v. 1927 2 sheets-sheet 1 I I v" la ff A, /f

llliilll A. "Hilf will" 'lill T- f .Eg INVENTOR. I T I ALBERT THIERFELDER v MQ/$555- I Aprl 9, E929? A. THIERFELDER Mmmm@ STOCKING CLOCK LACE FORMING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1927 2 Sheets-She' 2 i I i "H". Il .l

,M 1 ll'/ Il l l lll. 4i /JMeill. I

t l 59 may, mi., .n 1| .l i

1a/uuu l l' ffy 4 INVENTOR. ALBERVU' THlERFLDEF? Patented pr. i929., A. .l

nissan' .aninnrnimna Aor MILWAUKEE,

wisconsin, assienon iro rnonnix -no- ,SERY @-OMEANY, IOFMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATIQN' 0F WISCONSIN.

STOCKING CLOCK-LAGE-FORMXNG M CEINE.

Application filed Ma 17, 1927. Serial No, 191,982.

The invention relates in eneral to an ornamentation in knitted fabric and specifically relates to an ornamental lace clock formed in full-fashioned hosiery and in the embodiment of the invention herein described it is shown as a heel decoration to take the' place of the usual high splice. rllhe invention also relates to a method for making such decorative effect and to an attachment or rather to a modification 'of a conventional form of full-fashioned stocking knitting machine for forming such clock lace decoration. o Y

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simplied means for forming a novel form of design in a full-fashioned stocking' blank or like knitted fabric and to do this Ieconomically and with the least possible change or modification of the conventional forms of stocking knitting machines now in general use.

ln the art of forming clock lace in fullfashioned stockings, it is the usual ractice to equip the conventional forms ofpma-v chines used at present to knit and -shape the stocking blank, with mechanism which coacts with attachments known as clocking attachments to form the `lace clocks. These attachments are complicated in their` structure, are bulky and comprise numerous component parts which contribute to the al-` ready existing complication and multiplicity rof parts found on such machines. These attachments are kojuite expensive of themselves and must be coupled to the other mechanism with their separate controls, all of which contributes to the cost of forming clock lace ornamentations in stockings.

Accordingly another object of the present invention is to utilize an already existing lpart of 'the conventional full-fashioned stocking knitting machine so that in addition to its conventional function certain parts can be madeto function additionally to provide lace clocks and in this way the invention features the omission of the clocking attachments heretofore necessary in order to make the decorative feature hereinafter described. f

This object of the invention is attained by utilizing the usual narrowing mechanism to form lace clocks in the stocking blanks. This is attained by a modification of certain ofthe parts such as a repositioning of -the narrowing points, should the design require such adjustment, and controlling the operation of the narrowing mechanism to give the requisite shifting of the stitches so as to form lace clocks in distinction from the formation of the usual narrowing operation attained when the narrowing device functions conventionally. Another object of the invention is to. provide an artistic form of heel decoration v which can be formed simultaneously with the formation of the knitted fabric 'and without the necessity of adding to the stocking knitting web any additional threads to attain the new eect.

Broadl this phase of the invention is attained y starting the design forming action of the narrowingmechanism by iirst positioning the set of narrowing points lto the outside of the selvage edges and advancing the set progressively and step by step inwardly of the selvage edge until the full set of narrowing oints is acting to displace the stitches o -alternate or otliei 'courses thereby to form adjacent each edge of the stocking blank a tf-shaped strip, the wales of each course of which are inclined toy the wales of the courses forming the major portion of the stockin blank.

The invention there ore features a novel method ofv utilizing the conventional narrowing mechanism for the purpose of forming a change in the character of knitting adjacent the selvage edges, and, if desired, the subsequent utilization of the narrowing mechanism for the purpose of forming one or more lines of clock lace in the stocking blank so' that when the selvage edges are sewed together there will result a novel 'inverted V-shaped design formed of the same threads which form the adjacent leg portion of the completed stocking and distinguishing in one or more lines of lace clocks outlining the V-stripes.

Various other objects and advantages of' the .invention willibe in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part\will be' more fully set forth in the following particular description l of one formof mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and` novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

`ln the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a plan View looking down upon ioo a portion -Of-a Stocking blank Showing the' ldecorative feature in process -of formation l and showing symbolically certaln parts of themachine; l o

Flg. 2 1s azvlew 1n front elevation of certain parts bf the completed machine necy ing mechanism; c

essary to be referred to 'indescribing the invention herein; showing the modification of the mounting of the'narrowing points and 'showing'l in end belevation a modlcation of the conventional control for the narrow-V Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the l control shown in the rightof Fig. 2; 15

Fi 4 is an enlarged explanatoryI view of the Emitting at the left hand side of F1g. 1 shown line g-v of this figure;

Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive are detailed explanatory views showing in succession theactlon of one of the narrowing. points in remov'` ing a'stitch from a lneedle on which it is disclosure it is to be understood that' the' machine used `forv forming the clocklace edge design herein featured the -conventional full-'fashioned stocking knitting machine now-in general use and which lncludes the conventional knitting mechanism for Aforming the fabric of the stocking blank and of which parts there is 'illustrated the bank 10 of upstanding spring beard needles- 11 conventionally spaced apart as shown in Fig. 2. The machine also contains the usual narrowing mechanism for operating on the stocking blank 12 adjacent the selvage edges V13 for reducing the Width-,of the blank in a;

prescribed order of operation Ato shape the finished stockingto the leg and ankle. 'lllhe narrowing mechanism includes a left narrowing finger 14n-.carried by a narrowing bar f ated by a'ratchet 19 fed by a pawl 20in the.`

15 and .a right narrowing linger 16 carried by a narrowing bar L17 and which narrowing bars are controlled conventionally bymechanism indicated symbolicall by the left and right threaded control sha t 18 in turnA actuusualy timed sequence during the knitting operations and in turn .regulated by a'jacquard or other form of control usually for1n. ing part of such machines far describedis of-.a wellknown type-now vin general use and that. for this reason known detalls of construction have been' omtjjed vfromthis disclosure.

'I he'machine as modified to perform the operations herein featured distinguished from conventional machines primarily in about the position indicated by the displacement of the It will be unf derstood in y general that the machine -thus .ferentially of the that it can form lace .clocks without the` necessity of employing the lace clock forming attachments commonly added to sch stocking knitting machines.

'In order to so function the number of narrowing points 21 forming the set 22 may b'e5 and preferably is, reduced in number theset 22 but spaced therefrom or, differ! ently expressed, one or more of the narrowing points may lbe omitted from a set of such points. In the showing in Fig. 2one such additional point has been addedto the set or2 differently expressed, one point has` been omitted from the set to form the space j interval24. The points forming the set- 22 are equally spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of the needles 11 and except for .the lomission of .the Apoint orpoints `in the narrowing linger this part of themachine corresponds to the part 'as present constructed for narrowing operations.

In the usual narrowing operations the con- .trol is so designed that the narrowing mechanisin in itstransference ofi-stitches from the y selvage knlttmg needles 25 and 26 carries each of the stitches from the needle on which it was formed to the adjacent needle' two removed therefrom. In the functioning -remove a stitch from theneedle on whichy 1it is formed to the\ next adjacent needle. This requirement to modication of the control means for ad- .vancing the ratchet ,19. Any conventional mechanism may employed for changing the advancing the ratchet to change the same from its conventiona'l feed will be Vshiftedwuin its operating direction mwardly towards the medial longitudinal of YQthe blank afsingle-necdle distance, that is,

normally would ratchet the arc distance of two of its teeth. Referrmgto the detailed showing in Fig.

Y 1,'it can be assume/dthat the stocking has beenV knitted conventionally down to the line 1n Flg. 1, and that from 0'-d to the line the knittingmechanism functions .con-

i across a distance of two teeth lnto a single-tooth feed so that in each re-l ciprocatory action of the narrowing barit of the machine to form clock lace as hereine .after .described the corresponding action -of lchange the. distance -of stitches' necessitatesl a action of the pawl feeding I though it travels circumratchet al distance which "A `cause 1t to advance' the 'arcaico rowing points 22 have previously been utilized to narrow and give shape to the leg and ankle portion of the-stocking shown in ad' Vance of the line c-d'. v

When the course along the line c-d has been knit the control is changed soas to cause the narrowing mechanism-to shift with a single instead ofa double interval shift previously used in the narrowing operation. The controls are.initially set that both of the narrowing fingers 14 and 16 are shownin the position indicated by the dots representing theI correspondingly numbered .point spaces 1-8 and shown in F ig. 1 in elongation of the line c--d and positioned ,so that point 1 of each set is Vat the adjacent selvage edge 13. The first actuation of the narrowing finger is to cause point 1 to pick off of the end needle 29 the loop which was formed thereon during the preceding knitf tingbperation -an'd to transfer this loop -to the next adjacent needle 30. Two courses of conventional knitting are then laid and in the next succeeding operation of narrowing mechanism the two needles 1 and 2 act to transfer the two loops of the last laid course formed on needles 30 and 31 to the next adjacent needles 31 and 32. The single loop which was previously on needle 30 is transferred to needle 31 and the loop` which was formed on needle 31 is transferred to needle 32. In the succeeding narrowing operations A this displacement of a loop from the needle M on which it is formed to the next adjacent' needle is continued until all of the points forming the set 22, in this particular case shown tosix, are displacing the loops from the six selvage forming-needles inwardly one needle. With all o-f the set of narrowing points operating the knitting has advanced to the position shown by the line g-z., with the additional point 23 still positioned to the outside of and spaced from the selvage edge which at this time is in line with the blank space24. I

In the next succeeding narrowing actuation in its -step by step inward movement the blank space 24 will be opposite to the first selvage knitting needle 29 and of course in this actuation ofjthe narrowing mechanism the loop which is formed on the needle 29 is not removed but is permittedto remain in place while each point comprising 'the'set of 22 is removing a loop from its associated needle and replacing the loop ,on the next adjacent needle. Leaving the loop on the end needle 29 and removing the loop from the next s needle an opening spaced one needle distant inwardly from the selvage edge is. formed. rIhere is thus for-med -the rst of the line of clock openings 33 featured iii this disclosure.

A straight locking course of conventional knitting is then laid followed by a course hereinafter identified as a clockingA course. In each subsequent operation of the narrowing mechanism on the clocking course as the narrowing finger is advanced towards the medial linear-5, there will be formed in rear of the last needle of the sct and in rear of each of the additional needles .a clock opening and the succeeding clock openings will form o ne or more lines of clocks 34 as shown in Fig. l. As the clock forming action is advanced inwardly and progressively of the stocking blank there is continued to be formed on opposite sides thereof the conventional knitted effect in which the loops or stitches extend at right angles to the courses as indicated adjacent the opposite Vedges of Fig. 4.

Referring to the explanatory Fig.'4 there is shown alternate lace clock forming courses 35 to 38 inclusive connected by linking or locking courses 39, 40 and 41. l

Referring .specifically to the last course 38 it will be noted that` needles 29, 30, 31, 32, 42,A 43, 44, 45 are knitting conventionally with loops remaining on the needles on which they are formed. It will be -noted in each preceding clocking course such as course 37,l 36 and 35 that the clocking effect was started at one less needle back to the course at 0 0? where but one needle 29 re' tained its loop. In knitting the course 38 loop57 was originally formed on bare needle 46, loop 58 was originally formedon blank needle 48loop`59 was originally formed on needle 49loop 60 on needle 50, loop 61 on needle 51, loop 62 on needle 52, loop 63 on needle 53, with loops 64 and 65 remaining respectively on the needles 47 and 54 on which they were formed and this applies to all of the other loops across the bod portion ofthe stocking until the clockV f rming and stripe forming stitches are reached on the opposite side where the arrangement of the corresponding parts are relatively re' versed. .It will be understood that there will be an opening formed in the space occupied by the needles\46 and 48 and it is these spaces which form the lace clock openings in the finished fabric. i

Referring to the explanatory Figs. 5 to inclusive, it may be assumed that the knitactuation of the .narrowing mechanism toform 'the stripe and clock lace.

Fig. 6 shows the pointer 23 descended into position to press inwardly vthe beard 68 of the needle. and in position to engage the loop .57 Fig; 7 shows the pointer in its elevated position with the loop 'thereon leaving the needle 46 bare as shown` in Fig. 4; Fig. 8 shows the next. needle 47 with its reviously formed loop 64 thereon'and with t e pointer 23 lowering the loop 57 into superposed rela- .tion cn the previously formed loop.64; and

' .at 47 in Fig.,4.

Fig. 9 shows the pointer elevated with needle 47 carrying two loops or stitches as suggested saine effect can also be produced by setting herein.

the narrowing mechanism so that the inward stepping of the narrowing fingers would take place after two or more replacements of the' stitches or loops rather than a replacement of each alternate course as specifically shown Shouldit be desired. to Vary the width of the stripesneedles are added or subtracted from the set" 22 and shouldv it be desired to increase the number of lines of clock openings additional needles are added to the narrowing finger, one additional needle being added for each additional line of clock openingslrequired. In the illustrated form the one additional needle l23 was added to 7 form the line in addition to the,line formed by the last needle ofthe set and should 1 t be desired for instance to have a third llne of clock openings another needle is added 1n spaced relation to the needle 23 on the. slde thereof opposite the set 22.

When the requisite length of clock frining .courses havebeen knit and it is desired to return to conventional knitting such for instance astheknittingof the remaining porftion of the heel in ithe illustrated instance, Y'the narrowing' mechanism is thrown out ofoperation byieonventional means at present j'under control of the jacquard and the stockf fingblank isjni'shed conventionally.

lnfconipleting the stocking the selvage edgesaie sewed-:together following'nsual methodsrandqthere `results in thefinished article 'inverted'V V-shaped ornamental decoration 'shown in Fig. 10 and which takes thev place ofthe usual high splice. This ornaarcaico vmentation is characterized bylthesides of the ll-shape formed of the inclined stripe outlined at opposite edges by the two lines of lace clock openings. A l Having thus described my invention, I claim;l n j 1. In a full-fashioned stocking knitting machine, the combination of means for knitting the fabric of the stocking blank, narrowing mechanism including a. set of spring ybeard needles and a set of narrowing points control means adapted to act on the set of narrowing points for causing the same to engage the stitches ontliose needles which are knitting the selvage edge of the stocking blank to remove the stitches from said l.' needles inwardly a distance equal to the spacing of two of the needles thereby to effect a conventional narrowing lof' the blank between opposite selvage edges and other control .means ad'apted to act on the saine set of narrowing points for causing the same -to engage the stitches on a set of needles which areknitting a portion of the blank spaced inwardly from the adjacent selvage edge to shift said interior stitches a distance equal yto the space of one needle 'to effect a narrowing spaced inwardly from said adjacent selvage edge and leaving a clock lace opening between the part of the blank so narrowed and the adjacent selvage edge.

2. In a vknitting machine, the combinaJ i tion of mechanism including knitting needles for knitting a fabric blank, narrowing mechanism including a narrowing finger mounted for reciprocatory movement, a set of narrowing points carried by thefinger and conventionally spaced, an additionakpoint carried by the nger spaced from said set of points to leave an opening equal to the space interval between alternate points, f'means adapted to cause said set of narrowingpoints to function during the knitting of the blankwhile reducing the yarn' travel and thus reducing thewidth of the blank at one portion thereof while the additional point is idle and spaced outwardly away from the adjacent selvage edge 'and meansv adapted to operate duringthe knitting of another portion of the blank for causing all of said points to operate in spaced relation 'to the adjacent selvage edge to effect a stuccessive transferring of two. stitches in `eich course of knitting'to the next adjacent knitting needles thereby to' form two lines of clocks in the blank .without reducing the yarn travel and thus without reduction in width of the blank during the formation .of the clocks.

3.. In' a lmi'tting machine, lthe combina; tion ofmechanism including' knittin needles for knitting. a fabric of' the lank, narrowing mechanism including a narrowing finger mounted' for reciprocatory movement, a set of narrowing points carried by moede@ the finger and conventionally spaced, a plurality of additional points carried by the .A finger and spaced from the set Aand from each other to leave openings between each additional point and between the set and the next adjacent additional point'in each case vequal to the space interval between alternate points, and means adapted to `act on the narrowing finger during the knitting of certain of the courses for causing all of said points to engage' stitches on,certain of the needles knitting portions of the blank spaced from the selvage edges to shift each of the stitches to the next adjacent knitting needle thereby to form a number of lines of clock lace equal to a number one more than the number of openings formed. by the spacing of the additional narrowing points withyout reduction in yarn travel during the 2o Pformation of said openings.

4. In a knitting machine, the combination of mechanism forknitting-the fabric of a blank,'a narrowing bar mounted for reciprocatory movement, la narrowing finger carried by the bar, aset of narrowing-points carried by the linger for narrowing the.

' lfor narrowing the width ofthe blank or to controlling mechanism adapted selectivelyfunction within the outlines of the blank to form lacefclocks in the blank without narrowing the same.

5. In a knitting machine, the combination of mechanism including needles for knitting the fabric of a blank, means including narrowing points for transferring stitches from one to another of theA knitting needles and to cause said means to shift the stitch from the-needle knitting a selvage edge to the .second needle therefrom to effect a narrowing of the blank and'also to shiftthe stitch from a needle knitting an interior position of the blank to the next edjacent needle and thus leave a clock lace hole in the fabric without narrowing the blank. f

6. In a knitting machine, the combination of mechanism including knitting needles for knitting a fabric blank, narrowing mecha-4 nism including a set of points fixed Arelative lto each other and having an operative movement in one vdirection parallel to said li/ne, each point of said set in said operative movement acting when within the outlines of the fabric blank to remove a stitch from one of the knitting needles in spaced relation to the'adjacent selvage edge of the blank and replace 4the stitch so remove'd onv the next adjacent knitting needle thereby toy forni a design in the fabric without narrowing the fabric and said narrowing mechanism acting when its points are extending across an edge 7o of the blank to narrow the same.

7.' In a knittingmachine, the combination of ,mechanism for knitting a fabric blank, two sets of narrowing mechanism each including a set of fixedv narrowing points and acting respectively Aon the stitches forming one of rthe selvage edges' of the blank to reduce the width of the blank, 4means adaptedto cause said narrowing points of veach mechanism to act on'stitches Within the 8 0 o utlines of the fabric and in spaced relation to its selvage edges'to form clock laceon opposite sides of the longitudinal medial line of the lblank and means adapted to shift theV narrowing mechanism during the knitting of s-ucceeding courses to form lines of clock lace inclined to the wales and course of the knit fabric without reduction in yarn travel during the formation of said clock lace. c

. 9o 8.I In a knitting machine, the combination .of mechanism including ,a set of equally spaced knitting needles for knitting the fabric 'ofthe blank, narrowing mechanism including two sets of narrowing points coacting with certain of the knitting needles and acting on the stitches forming'the selvage edges of the blank for reducingy the width -of the blank, and means adapted to cause said sets of narrowing points to approach 10Q each other with a lstep-by-step movement land said points acting progressively .on

stitches in spaced relation to the selvage edges to form a pair of inclined stripes on opposite sides of the longitudinal medial line of the blank.

9. In a knitting machine, the combination of `mechanism including a setof equally spaced needles for knitting a blank, two narrowing mechanisms for' shaping the blank 110 from opposite selvage edges, each mechanism including a set of equally spaced narrowing points and an additional point fixed relative to and spaced outwardly from the equally spaced points of the corresponding set a distance greater than the distance between the equally spaced points and adapted when the points are functioning within .the outlines of the blank to form two lines of laceclocks.

l0. In' a knitting machine, the combina' 120 tion of mechanism including a set of equally spaced needles for knitting a. blank, two nar'- rowing mechanisms for shaping the blank from opposite selvage edges, each mechanism Y' including a setof equally spaced points and an additional point spaced from the equally spaced points of theV corresponding set, a distance greater than the distance between the equally spaced points and means adapted to cause the sets of points progressively to move )towards each other,ufollowing succeeding/actions of theknitting mechanism from a position with some of the points exteriorlly of thepdjacentl edge of the stocking to a position in which all of the jpoints arev Within the voutlines of the stocking blank.

mechanism including al set of equally spaced points, and including means adapted to ad- Vance the set of points from-a positionl with some jof the' points exteriorly of the adjacent selvage edge to a position inwhich all of the points are within the outline 0f the blank and acting to form the lace 'clock without. narrowing the blank. v

`l2. In a full-fashioned stocking knitting 20 machine, mechanism' including'a shiftable to function as design forming means in the 'Y stocking blank, certain of -said points being arranged side by. side, and equallyspaced apart to form al set, said set adapted when operating across an edge of the stocking -blankto function as a set of narrowing points and said line of points includin an f 30 set a distanceequal to the distance between v alternate points thereby to leave an opening` in the line of points equivalent to the dis`l additional point spaced from one end o thetance between alternate points whereby when operating within the outlines of the blank to forma line of lace clocks.l

Signed at Milwaukee, in thev County of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, this 27th 'day of April, A. D. 1927.

l LBERT 'lI-IIERFELDER.4 

